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Board presses auxiliary and fire department over donations, reporting and falling reserves
Summary
Board members questioned the fire department's auxiliary about reporting of cash and in-kind donations and noted the department's account has declined from about $60,000 to the low $30,000s; the exchange raised questions about who must report donations and what $3,000 would cover.
Board members and fire department representatives debated whether the auxiliary has properly reported donations and whether it is "overstepping" in its role.
A board member said the auxiliary "does not have to report to court" and that it may not be required to share internal information; another member countered that greater transparency would help the department. The auditor and clerk were asked to clarify reporting rules for donated services and in-kind contributions.
Board discussion cited last year's cooperative fundraiser and said the department received a check of just over $2,000 from a joint "Stillwater Strong" effort. A board member said the department's account has declined from roughly $60,000 to the low $30,000 range, and asked what $3,000 would pay for; participants discussed that $3,000 is significant for the department's declining balance.
Members asked for clearer definitions of reportable donations and noted confusion about thresholds: participants mentioned $100 and $500 figures in conversation but no clear conclusion was reached in the provided segments. The board asked staff to obtain a clearer definition of reportable donations from the auditor and to provide lists of recent in-kind and cash donations so the board can confirm compliance with reporting rules.
The discussion included requests to revisit prior legal opinions and to contact an attorney (identified in the transcript as Mitch Dobson) for clarification; participants asked staff to retrieve previous paperwork for review.
